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As the Spring sunlight floods your Oakville apartment it will show up any furnishings, such as rugs and carpets, that are looking the worse for wear. You may not want to splash out on new items but you can freshen up your floor coverings wonderfully by giving them a really thorough cleaning.

Vacuuming is not enough to get a really dirty carpet looking good again. For best results you need to deep clean. You can either call in a professional Oakville carpet cleaner or do the job yourself. If you can afford it, employ an expert. Otherwise hire a cleaning machine from a local Oakville store.

There are several types of machine; for example: ‘steam’ cleaners, shampooers, bonnet cleaners, foam cleaners and dry cleaners. Steam cleaners tend to be the most popular. These machines spray and remove hot detergent solution while cleaning the carpet.

Take these steps when steam cleaning your carpet.

Remove as much furniture from the room as you can. Put plastic sheet or polythene under legs and bases of the remaining furniture to prevent wood stains and rust (from metal objects) from bleeding onto the carpet.

Test for colorfastness. Moisten a white cloth with the cleaning solution and rub it gently on a small (and inconspicuous) part of the carpet. If no color appears on the cloth, it should be safe to use the cleaning substance on the rest of the carpet.

Vacuum your carpet thoroughly.

Spot-clean and pre-treat stains before steam cleaning, using a commercial spot remover, or an ordinary household detergent (as long as it does not contain beach or lanolin) or a vinegar and water mixture.

Use single strokes of the machine over the carpet surface. Do not apply heavy pressure and be careful not to over-wet the carpet.

Circulate the air to speed up drying time. If possible, open a window.

Try not to walk on carpets for at least 4 hours after cleaning. If possible leave them for 24 hours.

After all this work, the carpets in your Oakville apartment should look almost as good as new!

Tenants of apartments or houses for rent in Mississauga might not know it but the humble cardboard tube has some incredible uses. So the next time you finish a roll of toilet paper, paper towels, kitchen foil or cling wrap, save the tube! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Protect your knives – Flatten a paper towel tube, close one end with duct tape, and you have the perfect sheath for a knife. This comes in handy for camping, picnicking, or moving house.

Get rid of pests – Come warmer weather, when you sit outside your Mississauga rental and enjoy the breeze, you will need something to catch flies, gnats and mosquitoes. A homemade pest strip can be made from an empty cardboard roll. Simply cover it with tape, sticky side out, and hang where needed.

Preserve those papers – Store diplomas, certificates and other important documents in paper towel tubes.

Store knitting needles –To protect the needles from bending and breaking, take a tube from kitchen foil or cling wrap and cover one end with tape. Pinch the other end closed and secure with tape. Now slide the needles into the tube through the tape on the taped end. The tape holds them in place securely.

Wrinkle preventer – Cut a paper towel tube lengthwise, fold it in half horizontally and place it over the hanger. Now tape the cardboard sides together and hang up your trousers. No more tell-tale wrinkles!

Tangle-free – Nothing is more frustrating than untangling Christmas lights! To solve this problem, wrap the lights around a cardboard tube and secure with masking tape. You can also store small strands of lights inside cardboard tubes and seal the ends with masking tape.

If you discover other uses for these tubes in your home for rent in Mississauga, be sure to let us know!

Okay, residents of London rentals, you have put off spring cleaning long enough! If you are determined to clean your home but need help to keep from procrastinating further, we have some tips on making this chore as easy as possible.

Get organised – Do you have enough cleansers, mops, brooms, rags, etc? If your broom or mop is on its last legs, this is the time to invest in a new one.

Make it a family affair – Make everyone pick up their toys, dishes, etc, scattered around your London rental the day before the big sweep.

Dress the part – Wear comfortable clothes that can handle getting dirty. If you have long hair, tie it up. Now, gather all your cleaning supplies and plunge in.

Pace yourself – Tackle one room at a time so that you stay focused. When you see each room clean and orderly, you will have a real sense of accomplishment.

Top to bottom – Clean the ceiling and corners first with a soft cloth wrapped around a broom or a mop. Then dust the light fixtures, and continue to work your way down to counters, windows and windowsills, furniture. Finally, dust the baseboards and vacuum the carpets.

Bathroom basics – Spray bathroom cleaner on the sink, toilet and shower or tub, and allow it to soak. Meanwhile, get started on the ceiling, windows and counters. Once those are done, wipe down the sink, etc, and give the toilet a quick scrub.

Treat yourself well – Take a few breaks, have a hearty lunch and drink lots of water. Cleaning is a rough job, so when you are finished, luxuriate in a long shower or bath, put on fresh clothes and sit in a comfortable chair.

There you are, dwellers of rentals in London – it is easier than you think!

‘Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!”’, Robin Williams once said. It’s a nice thought but, on a more practical note, the arrival of Spring, in Ottawa and elsewhere, is also a wake-up call to landlords to do some essential maintenance before the onset of the summer heat!

Here’s a useful check-list of 10 important jobs to keep your Ottawa property in good repair.

Check your roof. The hot summer sun can quickly damage a roof’s shingles, so you may want to call a contractor if you haven’t inspected the roof in several years.

Make sure the gutters are safely attached and free of dead leaves.

Clean the downspouts and check that they are directing water away from the foundations of your Ottawa property to prevent the possibility of a basement flood.

Examine faucets and hose bibs to make sure water flows freely. If an outdoor faucet drips or if there is leakage inside the property when the hose is turned on, you may have had a frozen pipe that requires replacement.

Check for bird’s nests in plumbing vent pipes.

Pour a gallon of water into seldom-used drains to fill the trap and prevent bad smells from entering the house.

Go up into the attic of your Ottawa property. If it smells at all musty, then check for roof leaks. Examine the underside of the roof and the insulation carefully for any discoloration or dirty stains, which can be clues to water leaks.

Clean the yard drains. Look for low areas in the yard near the foundations of your Ottawa property that might collect water during a heavy shower. Level these depressions by filling them in with soil. Also flatten out any other hollows because they may develop pools of water after rain. Puddles of stagnant water can form a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Inspect the foundations around your house before the spring rains. Look for cracks and seal them yourself or call a contractor if necessary.

Go down into the basement of your Ottawa property. Check the walls and floor for water stains or any signs of seepage through the foundation.

Your humble blow dryer can be used in your Toronto rental for more than just styling your hair! Read on for some quirky tips on making the most of this versatile appliance.

1. If you want to remove a photo from an album with sticky pages, it is wonderfully easy to do so. Simply blow warm air onto the back of the page while you gently (very gently!) pull the photo free.

2. Is yours one of the apartments for rent in Toronto with a lot of knickknacks that need dusting? To avoid breakage of your valuable mementos, simply set the dryer on cool and point it at the spot to blow the dust away.

3. Have plastic shower curtains or tablecloths that you want wrinkle-free? Keeping the dryer 12 inches from the surface, blow hot air onto the material to smooth out the creases.

4. If you want to give Martha Stewart a run for her money, you can make perfect frosting or icing on cakes or cookies. Blow cool air directly on the item in question. But be careful – make sure that dust has not collected in the dryer.

5. For anyone doing their own manicure or pedicure, you can speed up the drying time by blowing cool air on your painted nails.

6. This winter, when you cannot bear to slip your feet into cold shoes or boots, warm up your footwear with your hair dryer.

7. If you live in one of the houses for rent in Toronto that allows you to do renovations, the hair dryer will help in pulling up old tiles. Set the dryer on the hottest setting and operate about 1 inch above the corner of a tile. When you see the tile rising, insert a thin spatula under it and gently pull the tile away.

Just because you live in an apartment without a yard does not mean that you cannot enjoy working the good earth! Apartment gardening gives you all the benefits of traditional gardening, albeit with some modifications. Read on for tips on starting a garden in anyLondonrental.

Use that balcony – No matter how small, a balcony is a great place to start. Not only will your knees and back be spared the rigours of conventional gardening, but your plants will benefit from being able to absorb more sunlight. For residents ofLondon apartments that do not have a balcony, place plants by your windows or grow shade-tolerant varieties that do not need as much sunlight.

Contain yourself – Almost anything can serve as a planter – an old motorcycle helmet or a worn-out pair of old boots, for example. Just be practical – containers that are too small restrict the root system and hamper plant growth. And since drainage is key to thriving foliage, either drill holes in your makeshift planter or fit a smaller container, one with holes, into the planter.

No clutter, please – Be realistic about how many plants you can handle. An over-crowded balcony does not look charming. Maybe choose a few larger plants, such as a ficus tree or aNorfolk pine, and position smaller plants around.

Oh, grow up – A trellis is a great way to add more plants without taking up space. Many vines, such as honeysuckle or morning glory, can be trained to grow on a trellis. Some food plants, especially tomatoes, will grow vertically on stakes.

Show off – Window boxes look great on balconies and are a useful way to grow plants. Just be careful not to crowd the window box and keep in mind a plant’s water and space requirements. Done properly, your window boxes will be the envy of your neighbours inLondon rental properties!

It’s a scary thought but the kitchen is about the most dangerous place in your Toronto apartment. Not only does it have intense heat, sharp knives, glass, and electrical appliances like mixers and grinders, but also a host of potential pathogens if anyone slips up on the food hygiene front.

Here are 10 tips for kitchen and food safety in your Toronto home:

Know where the fire extinguishers are and how to use them.

Most kitchen fires start because of over-heated fat or oil. To put out a fat fire cover with a fire blanket or damp cloth and turn off the gas or power. Never use water!

Hot oil causes bad burns. Don’t ever put water or other liquid into hot cooking oil. It will turn to steam at once and spray hot oil all over the place.

When you take the top off a boiling pot of water remove the cover far side first so the steam does not scald your hand.

Keep your knives nice and sharp. Sharp knives cut vegetables easily without the need for force. Blunt knives require pressure and if you slip there is real danger of cuts.

Wash knives separately. Never leave them in soapy water in the sink or in the dishwasher. They will not be properly visible – another person will not know they are there and cut themselves.

Broken glass can cause nasty cuts. Clean it up thoroughly with a dustpan and brush. Wrap it carefully in newspaper and then put it in a safe container before disposing of it.

One trend among residents of Ottawa house rentals is learning how to cut down on the use of plastic at home. Plastic, for all of its convenience, wreaks havoc with the environment because it is made from oil. In addition, there are toxins that can escape certain types of plastic, thus increasing our exposure to harmful substances. If you are ready for the challenge of living plastic-free in your home for rent in Ottawa, we have a few tips for you. To start, learn the three Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle.

Reduce – try not to buy any new plastic items. That can be tougher than you think – items such as contact lens solution, clumping kitty litter and garbage bags do not have plastic-free alternatives. But when it comes to food that is packaged in plastic, you have options. Consider baking your own bread or making your own hummus.

Reuse – find ways to use any plastic container as many times as possible before recycling it. Those takeaway food containers and plastic condiment bottles can hold paper clips and pens, for example. Be careful in your quest, though, as some plastic, such as PVC, is not safe to be reused.

Recycle – if you cannot reuse plastic, then it is better to take it to the recycling centre. Remember, though, that plastic degrades as it is recycled, so recycling is not the best solution to the plastic pollution problem.

What else can you do? Use mason jars or spaghetti sauce jars to store bulk food items like rice, nuts and dried beans. If you worry about breaking glass in the kitchen, consider using stainless steel containers.

There you have it. With a pragmatic approach and a few practical changes, you can make a difference. Now spread the word among your neighbours who live in Ottawa rental properties!

Any home can be made brighter by the strategic use of mirrors. With a little imagination and ingenuity, you can add mysterious rooms and dimensions throughout any of the many rentals inOakville. Even broken mirrors can be recycled for craft projects. Intrigued? Read on!

Bits and Pieces – For the crafty types, consider making a Moroccan influenced tabletop or wall panel by mixing coloured tiles with bits of broken mirror. The result? The finishing touch for a sun room that will be the envy of your neighbours inOakvillehouse rentals!

ASecretGarden– To create a peek into a verdant sanctuary, place a simple window frame in front of a large mirror. Add a shelf below and bring in as many plants as possible.

She Sells Seashells – If you have a beach inspired bathroom, add sea shells, sea glass and small pieces of driftwood to a plain mirror frame. You will soon hear the gentle murmur of ocean waves!

Old is Gold – Perhaps a touch of the Gothic is just what your home for rent inOakvilleneeds. If so, then trawl for old mirrors at flea markets and yard sales. Hang them in groups, especially in corners of a room, for a touch of bohemian charm.

AMagicGarden– If you put a large, rectangular mirror on top of a wall, your guests will think there is another garden just beyond their reach. Just make sure to place any mirror in a shady place. Otherwise, the reflected sunlight will damage your plants.

Surprise, Surprise – Mirrors in unlikely places, such as a dark closet or cupboard, add reflected light and ease the gloom. Another trick is to affix a mirror to the ceiling of a dingy hallway – you will have an instant skylight! Or, you could put a mirror behind a lamp to make a room brighter.

There is no doubt about it – noisy neighbours can make life a misery. Heavy metal music playing late into the night, screaming marital fights , barking dogs, faulty smoke alarms, the DIY enthusiast endlessly hammering nails into his latest project – any of these can mean sleepless nights and discomfort for the people who have to live nearby.

And constantly disrupted sleep is not a small problem. It can spoil your performance at work or college and could even damage your health. Daytime noise can also be a problem for mothers at home with young children, or telecommuters.

If you suffer from noisy neighbours in your London rental apartment then here are some suggestions for tackling the problem

As long as you have some knowledge of the offenders and you live in a safe neighborhood in London, you can approach them directly. Ask them politely to stop the noisy activity or, if appropriate, to only do it at a time when it will not disrupt sleep.

If the people are reasonable, you may be able to work out a compromise. For example, a stereo could be moved away from a shared wall, carpets could used to lessen the noise of heavy footsteps on a wooden floor, the DIY enthusiast could be persuaded to stop work at a reasonable hour and a keep-fit obsessive may agree not to go on the treadmill at 4.am.

If you feel uneasy about a direct approach, you may need to take someone with you or ask a landlord or apartment manager to intervene. Another option is to put an anonymous, but polite request through their letter box.

If a measured approach doesn’t work, or the argument becomes heated, end it, document it and make sure you tell your London apartment landlord (if he/she is not present). If you feel threatened, contact the local authorities at once. London has some new tough by-laws to deal with noise problems (see below).

The London by-laws, introduced in 2009, prohibit any form of unreasonable noise which is a nuisance to others. The by-laws apply to any noise which can be heard from “any point outside of the premises from where the noise originates”. Most of the noise restrictions apply 24 hours a day, and are subject to no upper limit in decibels for how loud the noise must be before it is caught by the by-law.